1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the general field of pool maintenance tools and, in particular, it provides a new adjustable device for removing algae and other deposits from the plaster surface of swimming pools.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As part of the normal maintenance of swimming pools, it is common practice to remove algae and similar deposits that form and accumulate on the surface of the pool plaster under the water level. Algae are aquatic plants that tend to grow when the chlorine concentration in the water is allowed to drop below the required control level, especially in warm temperatures. Algae are often pigmented with a red, brown or black color that forms characteristic stains at the bottom and along the side walls of the pool.
In order to remove these spots from the pool, an area stained by algae is typically first scrubbed with a wire or similar brush to remove the wax that builds up on algae, and it is treated by the application of solid chlorine cake to saturate it with a high concentration of deadly chlorine. Of course, since pool maintenance is normally performed from outside the pool, both the chlorine cake and the brush are mounted on a retaining tool attached to a long pole.
One such tool is marketed by Pac-Fab of Longwood, Florida, under the trade name "Algee-gon." It consists of two clamp jaws appropriately sized to house a standard 3-inch chlorine cake and held together by two wing-nut bolt combinations at opposite ends along the diameter of the cake. One of the bolts is also inserted through, and therefore forms a pivot point with, a standard spring-lock handle provided for attachment to one end of a pool pole. Thus, the position of the cake with respect to the pole can be varied by rotating the clamp jaws around such pivot point. The ability to reposition the cake is important because it optimizes the use of the tool by permitting adjustments to the angle of attack, which in turn allows for full utilization of the cake's exposed surface and for more effective contact with the algae in areas of the pool that might otherwise be difficult to reach.
A similar product is marketed by Purity Pool of Whitmore, Cali., under the trade name "Mr. Longarm." It consists of a holding jaw for a chlorine cake, pumice stone, or equivalent scraping means, pivotally attached to a quick-connect spring-lock handle. The cake is held in place by a gripping jaw compressed against the holding jaw by two wing-nut bolt combinations. This device can also be adjusted by rotating the position of the cake with respect to the handle, and therefore to the pole attached to it, to conform to the pool bottom for better utilization and results.
While these and similar devices constitute a useful improvement over tools with a fixed angle of attack, several problems remain that the present invention is intended to address. First, as adjustments to the orientation of the tool become necessary during a cleaning session, these prior art devices need to be retrieved from the water, so that the pivot nut can be loosened, the tool rotated, and the assembly retightened as required. This operation is cumbersome and time consuming, especially when working with a long pole in a large pool. Second, these tools can only be used for the step of treating the algae with chlorine. A different tool with a brush has to be installed either on the same or a different pole to conduct the step of scrubbing the algae off the plaster. Therefore, since both operations are often required at the same time in the same general area of the pool for a complete maintenance service, one is forced to either work with two poles or to extract the pole from the water and switch from one tool to the other as needed. Either one of these alternatives is also very cumbersome and time consuming. Therefore, there still exists a need for a simple device that combines these functions and addresses these problems.